Battle of Dusk and Dawn
by Groulien
Summary: Merlin!Royal AU. The Five Kingdowns are split between Uther's Alliance of Dawn, where magic is banned, and the Forge of Dusk ruled by Queen Morgause and Prince Merlin, a place where magic roams free. The battle between Forge and the Alliance was to be expected, the aftermath however, not so much.
1. Blood and Death

This Merlin-royal AU was originally created by Versastyles (3625970) for his story 'A play of Dusk and Dawn' (id:7745585). I have his permission to use it.  
A (slightly modified) explanation:

"This story is set in an AU, where the Five Kingdoms are two nations. One is the Alliance of Dawn, ruled by the King Uther Pendragon, his son Arthur (crown prince) and Morgana (princess). Opposing to his great power stands the Forge of Dusk, governed by Queen Morgause and her younger brother Merlin Emrys (prince), known to the people only as Emrys. Since magic got banished from the lands of the Alliance and is now punishable by death alone, Uther strives to conquer the Forge which is infested by magic and its 'corrupting' influence."

Please read the first **2** chapters, it'll make more sense.

* * *

**Blood and death**

Nothing could compare to the sight of dead bodies littering the battlefield. To Morgause it wasn't beautiful or horrible, the real trouble was the outcome of the battle. It was a draw.

The armies of the Forge of Dusk had suffered the most losses because they just weren't battle-ready. For years their father, Balinor, had forced a stalemate between them and the Alliance of Dawn. That stalemate had become something of an unspoken truce which became cracked over the years. There was surprisingly little reason to break the truce other than King Uther's narrow-mindedness. After being quiet for so long, he began speaking out against magic again after the birth of his eldest, Morgana, and even more so after the birth of Arthur.

King Uther played a foul game by obstructing the roads leading to the Forge of Dusk and did everything he could to cripple them. King Balinor had gone abroad to fight the Saxon threat and Queen Hunith remained passive towards it all to avoid conflict. But when the Queen passed away due to ill health, the court of the Forge decided to make Morgause Queeen and Balinor did not disapprove, until Morgause fought back.

The unspoken truce had made them lazy and despite there being an army, they now lacked capable sorcerers. Most of the powerful sorcerers in the days of the First Twilight War had grown old and weary of fighting. The Queen, Morgause, found their words desertion and betrayal and part of them were executed.

This battle was the first one of what would be known as the Second Twilight War. At dusk they would recover the dead to burn them. This draw would be the first of many battles to be fought. Morgause didn't know the numbers yet but it seemed both had lost over half their forces. The Queen wouldn't have called for retreat unless her advisor, Knight-Commander Valiant, hadn't advised her to do so. With their retreat, so did the forces of Camelot and it seemed that the next battle would take place on a different date.

"My Queen." A man greeted her on top of the hill.  
"Valiant." She returned. The Knight-Commander was a ruthless man but he knew when a battle was lost. His position as Commander of the Black Sword Order, a knights' order, was by the graces of the court, or rather his father's influence with them.  
"Some of the villagers offered to help collect the dead. When do we do so?" He asked. The villagers he spoke of came from Kingsbane, named after the last battle of the First Twilight War which ended in a draw and both Kings balanced on the line between life and death. Kingsbane was he place where they had made camp.  
"Now, just don't let my idiot brother help." Morgause replied obviously annoyed with her little brother.  
"Why not? So what if he gets himself killed? I know you want him dead." Valiant spoke callously. To him it didn't matter who lived or died as long as they got results.  
"My father is still out there and if he found out, there would be hell to pay." Morgause replied.  
"You succeeded him so he could fight the Saxons, it wouldn't be difficult to prevent his return."  
"Valiant!" She sneered. "You speak treason and I'll have none of it!" The Queen berated him. The knight just shrugged it off and walked back to camp. Morgause blamed her father for leaving them behind and she had little love left for him. Then there was her little brother, Merlin, five years younger than her. She didn't feel much kinship to him. He was too soft for his own good, compassionate when he should condemn and it would probably get him killed, clumsy little pest. He had such shortcomings and still their father loved him. He was a disgrace, a stain on their royal heritage, "The Plain Prince", the first in their lineage without magic. The only thing that kept him special was that the gift of a Dragonlord, their father's gift, was passed down from father to son. Perhaps then he might serve a purpose.

Morgause did her best to keep him from sight, excluding him from royal events. _She _was Queen, _she _ruled, _she _had the power, the people were _her _subjects and she wouldn't share them with _anyone_. People would recognize her on the streets, Queen Morgause Belisent, but he went unnoticed. He wore the clothes of a commoner and she was glad he did. Even if he would tell someone that he was Prince Emrys, no one would believe him. The name 'Merlin' didn't leave castle walls because Morgause refused to use his 'common' name. Merlin used his common name to lead a life in the shadows. What absolutely infuriated her most of all was the he undermined her authority by forgetting his place. He would fraternize with castle servants and even some of the knights did more than tolerate him, knights other than Valiant.

The Knight-Commander told the people of Kingsbane to help collect the dead but didn't bother to keep an eye on Merlin. If the Prince died, it would be of no importance. There were rumours that pretty much everyone had fallen on the field even Prince Emrys and he hadn't even lifted a finger.

Merlin liked being with the villagers, it felt like belonging. The castle in Namhilrok - the capital of the Forge - no longer gave him the feeling like he belonged, not since mother passed away. Even knee-deep in blood and death, it felt better than being home doing nothing or having to hear his tyrant sister's insults. But Merlin wasn't helping the other villages retrieving the dead, he was looking for survivors.

* * *

**AN:**

Good or bad? Drop a comment.


	2. Stray

**Stray**

Merlin waded through the suits of armour looking for signs of life. Some of the soldiers with an open helmet or no helmet at all would stare at him accusingly with their dead eyes. Sometimes he would put his hand on a neck, usually someone with his eyes close, to check for a pulse but it usually met cold, soft silence. A few times there seemed to be hope when his fingers touched warmth and then he would notice the lack of a heartbeat, pulling his hand back he would see it covered in blood.

War was like a disease, it took the young and the old. No one was spared, not even by their own King or Queen. War brought out the worst in man and self-preservation, selfishness, reigned. It was horrible to see the young faces, people younger than himself. A rare few of them were barely ten years old, forced to supply the archers with arrows and they had gotten caught in the crossfire.

So far he had brought back three dead bodies, one after about every 15 minutes, for the sake of keeping up appearances. Then he saw a woman. Merlin moved closer to take a better look. She had black, braided hair and wore a chainmail. The Prince noticed her red lips, makeup, and her hand still clutching her sword.

_No woman would want to die without looking her best._ He joked to himself.

She had to be Alliance, Morgause didn't want any women fighting but apparently King Uther didn't have that much of a problem with it. He gently lifted her head. Despite the dirt on her face, she was pretty - no, beautiful. He put his fingers on her neck to check for a pulse, he didn't discriminate between friend and foe. Morgause was the one taking lives, flip the coin and Merlin would save them.

*Thump*

No, it couldn't be. He must've felt it because _he wanted _to feel it. If she-

*Thump*

Alive, this time he was sure it was her. It was weak but _it was her_. He felt the back of her head and there was blood, not a good sign. He didn't waste any more time and lifted her over his shoulder. Heading back to the village he walked amongst the other villagers and luckily they didn't seem to notice. But he didn't throw her on the pile of dead bodies, he walked past it and some noticed.

"Merlin." The man calling him knew his name. If memory served, that wasn't a good thing at all.  
"Yes?" Merlin asked as he turned to the Knight who moved closer to him.  
"Picking up strays again?" The Knight asked. Merlin was the kind of person that helped strays. Cats, dogs or birds, he helped injured animals all the time. Morgause usually killed the critters when she found them. Injured or not, Morgause snapped their necks because they didn't belong in the castle. The Knight knew this, this Knight knew more than the others. This Knight understood and almost whispered. "Let's get you inside before anyone notices."

Merlin was escorted to his cabin, a luxury for once, and he laid her down on one of the beds.  
"Thank you, Lancelot." Merlin was thankful that it was him that found him or otherwise the girl might've been finished off on the spot.  
"Merlin, that's an awful lot of blood. A few stitches won't fix that."  
"I don't care." The Prince replied and Lancelot cursed. Merlin did have a way of getting himself into trouble and today seemed to be no different.  
"She's nobody, it's not worth the risk, just let her die." Lancelot almost pleaded. The Knight wasn't harsh or cruel, the woman was an enemy and should indeed be left to die.  
Merlin's mind was made up the moment he felt her heartbeat and it beat still.  
"Ic pe purhhaele pinu licsar mid pam sundorcraeft paere ealdan ae!"  
Lancelot stared at the light radiating from the woman's head and her chest began to rise and fall steadily.  
"One day, you'll get caught." Lancelot warned him. The Knight had known the Plain Prince's secret for some time now and never said a word to anyone.  
"Just get me a bucket of water, I should clean her up." Merlin pretty much commanded him.  
"As you wish, _Sire_." That's how Lancelot like to tease him, simply because he didn't like formalities. As Lancelot left, Merlin turned back to the girl on the bed. Who was she?

_The battle was going well according to her father but she didn't agree. It was all so unnecessary. Her father was fighting against corruption but she saw it differently. There was a truce even if it wasn't written in ink. She could see he was wrong and even her brother would sometimes agree, yet he refused to listen. One word of defiance on the subject and she was punished for it, he was a tyrant._

_Now they stood on the battlefield and she found the smile on his face revolting.  
"Knights, with us!" Her father shouted as he and her brother ride out into combat. Of course he wanted them to suffer at his hand, __their__ hands to make matters worse. She wished Gwen, her maid, was with them though it was probably for the best that she had stayed in Camelot. Her brother fancied her maid, father would be furious if he knew._

_A sudden yelp pulled her head from the clouds and she saw her brother's horse without a rider, the knights that were supposed to protect him had broken formation. She spurred her horse to go and help him. She damned their father to put his life at risk like that._

_Her horse trampled a few soldiers but it was definitely worth the risk, her brother had trouble standing his ground until she killed them from horseback. She helped him get back on his horse and they made a little retreat, just them and the knights. Morgana had dawdled a bit and a soldier from the Forge of Dusk shoved his spear in the horse's neck. They fell to the ground and as she got up, she heard a horse galloping._

_Then everything faded to black._

Then there were blue eyes.

* * *

**AN:**

Merlin without magic isn't really Merlin. I had planned on revealing it later but that might cost me quite a few readers.


	3. Who We Are

**Who We Are**

Blue eyes looked at her, blue like the lake of Avalon at night. She had a throbbing headache but that didn't seem all that important considering.  
"I'm glad to see you're awake." He said and it snapped her out of her trance. She took in his features in a heartbeat. He didn't look bad, quite handsome actually, but his hair was a mess. His most prominent features were his ears but the most remarkable were his cheekbones, it gave his face a kind of cuteness. She wanted to sit up but he put his hand against her shoulder and she noticed why, the throbbing in her head got worse.  
"Easy there. You've taken a blow to the head, you need to rest." Magic didn't solve everything, it usually couldn't. The mind registered the blow and would think she was still hurt. One of the key pieces of healing with magic was to have the 'patient' watch it heal, then the mind would accept and follow suit. All her mind would need was a bit of time, everything would fall in to place in her subconscious. It surprised him she woke so quickly, mere minutes after he healed her. He hadn't even had time to clean the wounds yet.  
"Who won?" She barely managed to utter the sentence and Merlin didn't even bother to answer it.  
"Rest." He told her and through exhaustion sleep came to her rather quickly.

Merlin's head shot up at the sound of footsteps made by armoured boots. Slowly the secret warlock moved to the living and although the footsteps were getting closer, they didn't make him tense up. He knew his sister's step, also in armour, and this would either be a knight or a soldier. Lancelot popped in to give him the bucket of water he asked and asked if the girl had woken yet. The sorcerer explained the situation and with a gentle nod the knight left again. Merlin got a rag from one of the cabinets and dipped it in the bucket of water. He started with the back of her head, that's where the wound was. There wasn't much blood there and he dipped it in the water again before using it to remove the dirt from her cheeks.

She really was beautiful. He just couldn't resist and laid the rag aside to let his bare fingers caress her cheeks. Why on earth would anyone ever send her off to war? She must've been spirited, though. Her first question was about who won the battle. Usually it was-  
Her eyes fluttered and he quickly retracted his hand, putting it on the dirty rag. She looked at him with a bright shade of green in her eyes.  
"Where am I?" She asked as if she had read his thoughts. There was a fair chance that she was the enemy and, as such, would probably assume the very worst if he told her they were in Kingsbane.  
"Near the border." He more or less avoided the question.  
"Who won?" She repeated her earlier question and there was something in her eye that told him she was on to him.  
'You want me to be your friend or you enemy?" He asked bluntly since that's what it boiled down to.  
She sighed but continued. "Then at least tell me your name."  
"Merlin." He replied and she caught herself unprepared. Friend or foe? Telling him her real name would probably be a mistake and she told him the first name that came to mind.  
"Gwen." She more or less sighed and then followed an awkward silence. Neither knew what to say, especially since he refrained from answering her questions. Merlin didn't know how to go on either, the strays he usually rescued didn't or couldn't talk back.  
"I should be getting home" Gwen tried to get up but Merlin put his hand on her shoulder again, just like with the headache.  
"If you can sit upright for ten seconds, you can go." He told her and when she tried to sit up, she immediately fell back down because the pain kicked. Merlin gave it a sheepish smile, that's why they sent her off to war, most men didn't like stubborn women.  
"Can I get you anything?" He offered. Being so worried about where she was and who had won, she hadn't noticed how hungry she really was.  
"I'm famished." She said.  
"I'll be just a minute then." He said as he left. There was no need to tell her not to wander off or leave the house, she couldn't even sit up. While he was gone, she wandered about her current predicament.

Defenceless and alone, that's how she'd describe her situation. She didn't know where she was, 'near the border' could be just about _any_ border. The battle had passed and she didn't know who had won. Were her brother and father alright? A peasant found her but she didn't even remotely count herself lucky, she didn't really know who he was. Merlin _seemed_ honest enough but his answers to her questions were just a bit too clever for a commoner. Who was to tell her he wouldn't come back with the authorities?

When he finally came back about quarter of an hour later, she pretended to be asleep. Merlin checked to see if she was asleep and lit the fire with a flint rather than magic. Tending to the wounded animals, and now a possible enemy, was part of his recklessness. Yet one thing he had been taught very well, that his magic had to be kept secret and it had made him a very cautious man. The smell of cooking began to fill the house and Gwen believed that perhaps she could trust him just a little bit. She could hear a bit of rustling and then his footsteps approaching her. His hand gently shook her and she played along.  
"Still hungry?" He asked and, seeing two bowls on a nearby table, she nodded. Again she made the mistake of trying to sit up and fell back with a groan.  
"Just a minute." He said as he quickly popped out the room. For a moment she believed he was going to spoon-feed her but that did not seem the case. He came back with a small flask and removed the lid before her.  
"Smell." He told her as he held it before her nose. She took a whiff and recoiled at the ghastly smell, it almost made her think it was a children's game. He put the lid back on and put it in his pocket. She felt a bit light in her head and feared it might all have been an elaborate trap until Merlin helped her sit upright. Now there wasn't pain but just light-headedness.  
"The dizziness will pass." He said as he put her hands on his arm and helped her get over to the table. The soup was decent enough, she's had worse from the kitchen staff back home though only on a very rare occasion. Filling her stomach, the dizziness began to wear off, perhaps that was all it really required. Merlin's mind was occupied by troublesome thoughts. How was he going to get her home? It was all too fair to assume that 'Gwen' wasn't her real name and she would never tell about home. Gwen took notice of his mind being elsewhere.

"Thank you." She broke the silence and was awarded for it with a smile from Merlin. "You're risking a lot with me, aren't you?" She asked.  
"That's why we're leaving once you've changed your clothes." He told her and somewhere that did not quite compute. A lot of things just stopped making sense. She had been laying on a bed all day and the only one she had seen was Merlin. Did he live there by himself? The change of clothes was reasonable enough but she hadn't seen a woman yet. If her knowledge of 'common people' was accurate enough, someone his age should either be married or live with his mother. Why 'we'? Why was he coming along instead of opening the door and letting her be on her way?  
"You have women's clothing?" She asked, forcing a humorous smile. Merlin gave it a sad smile, it was a preposterous idea, and then he turned serious.  
"I don't live here. This house belong to a man who didn't want to fight in the war. The..." Merlin caught himself from saying Queen since that would be a dead giveaway. "Every 'no' was answered with execution until his own."  
"Are you..." She didn't dare ask him if he was related but even the few words she managed to utter stated a question.  
"No, I'm not." Merlin answered but it did seem to bother him. Gwen was disappointed and relieved, the relief was obvious but it still told nothing about him.  
"Who do you blame for this, this war, this everything?" She asked knowing he might just brush it off again.  
"Everyone. We can blame the King or Queen but few find it in themselves to care. Then it reaches their village, their home, their family and then they care." His words made her see who he was and it saddened her beyond  
"It's not your fault." She sympathised with him but he wasn't amused to say the least.  
"Don't believe you know what it's like to be me, not for a second!" Anger filled his voice. He hated pity, it resembled everything he ever got from the other nobles for being 'The Plain Prince'. They looked down on him and saying 'sorry' he could deal with but not the pity they gave which felt taunting. _It's not your fault you don't have magic. It's not your fault you're not like your sister._ If things had been the way they should've been then he might not have needed to.  
"So you just blame everyone else?" Gwen countered. It wasn't the most wise thing to say, especially since her life might depend on it. But she couldn't stand people who thought themselves better than the rest of the world.  
"I..." His voice croaked. " It's different. But everyone is to blame and I'm no exception." He got up from the table and moved to one of the adjacent rooms where she couldn't see him. She felt guilty for pushing him over the edge like that and didn't feel like eating anymore. She knew pain as she lost her mother before knowing her but that could hardly compare to losing someone to the war. Gwen was glad he didn't leave but in Merlin's mind, the crying Prince would receive far too much attention. This was a perfect example why he should've stuck to dealing with animals and not people, things would get too personal.

* * *

**AN:**

In case you didn't realize it, 'Gwen' is Morgana (I've only once used Morgana's name so far).  
Not referring to Arthur and Uther from her perspective is deliberate.  
I try to explain the world as the story progresses so lack of knowledge about the show won't interfere with the flow.


	4. The Start of Something New

**The Start of Something New**

Merlin went back to 'her' room carrying a satchel to see if she was ready to go. The armour was gone and replaced by a dress with a tight bodice. He was awestruck by it, their fight completely forgotten. The reason for her to change was not to attract too much attention but looking like that, it might have been a bit in vain. She did pack her chainmail with Merlin's permission. It might've seemed an unnecessary piece of luggage but if Morgause found it, there would be a search party out looking for them far too soon.  
"You might want to unbraid your hair." Merlin remarked.  
"Huh? Why?" She demanded to know. She thought he might only have said that to annoy her, his way of coping with emotions only it wasn't.  
"In some villages it means you're looking for a husband." Merlin grinned at her bulging eyes. She had heard it before but more or less forgotten about since she never had to deal with it. But she would gladly be embarrassed for a moment and have him correct her if that meant they would be able to talk like normal people.  
"Merlin, about earlier-" She wanted to apologize regardless of her survival depending on him.  
"Ready?" Merlin interrupted her. Judging by his hand on the handle of the door, they were leaving immediately and talk would have to wait. She nodded, they'd talk later. Outside she saw the colours of the Forge of Dusk, she had been staying at the enemy camp. Then and there she was so incredibly grateful Merlin didn't tell her, it would've made her scared beyond reason. He took her hand and they made their way to the edge of the village. With most of the homes of Kingsbane behind them, little light of the campfires reached them. Unbeknownst of each other's skill at sneaking out of castles, they escaped without any of the lookouts noticing.

There it was, the open road. Merlin moved in one direction but Gwen lingered.  
"Something wrong?" He asked and there most certainly was.  
"I _need_ to know who won." She pleaded.  
"The Forge retreated first and then the Alliance did the same. So it's a draw." He explained and resumed walking. Gwen, having her answer, quickly resumed walking next to him. Over the next two hours they didn't talk very much. Gwen needed to process the information she had been given whilst Merlin kept an eye out for trouble. Reaching the next village they immediately went to the tavern. Since they arrived in the dead of night, they could only rent a room but not get any food or drinks, much to Merlin's dismay. In their room, Gwen felt she had to put things right.  
"Merlin, could we talk for a moment before going to bed?" She asked just in time or Merlin would've extinguished the candle. Instead he sat down on his bed and nodded.  
"I'm sorry for earlier. You were right, I don't know anything about you." She admitted she was wrong, not something she was used to doing. Oddly enough, Merlin felt like talking.  
"I could've prevented all this from happening." He began with a voice full of sorrow and regret. For the first time in years he felt like talking even if part of his mind still rebelled against it.  
"When the Queen declared war, I stood but three feet behind her. I could've pushed her off the balcony or grabbed a sword from one of the guards and attacked her with it. All of it could've ended before it had even begun." He never talked about things like that. Lancelot was worried enough with keeping his magic a secret and his 'friends' in Namhilrok would betray him if they knew the hatred he bore for the Queen. Gwen wouldn't betray him, doing so she would betray herself. Perhaps it was that kind of security he needed to let it all out for once. She, in turn, finally understood what it must've felt like. To have the power to prevent a war and decide not to use it or to not notice the choice was there at all. The suffering that need not be, the pain that need not burn.  
"Is magic evil?" She asked bluntly and he looked up from his sorrows. Her curiosity towards magic had always been there like a forbidden fruit. Merlin, however, was a bit offended.  
"Answer me this, do the colours of the Alliance fill you with hope? Do you look at your knights with pride and awe, thankfull that they are there?"  
"Yes." She answered softly but honestly, knowing he was about to make a point.  
"Yet they carry swords, a tool forged for a single purpose, death and bloodshed. Are they evil?" Merlin asked.  
"They are honour-bound to serve their King and even if that King is a tyrant, it doesn't make _them_ evil." Her words confused him slightly, did she just call her King a tyrant? The honesty was refreshing and he couldn't help but admire her for it. Now it was his time to speak and explain.  
"Most sorcerers barely know how to use it. Some of them kill themselves because they lack proper guidance. The lucky ones find some sort of village sorcerer but the unlucky ones are caught and end up in the Queen's army."  
"But sorcerers in general?" She inquired calmly.  
"Light a candle or start a fire, mend the wounds or make them fester, it's all choice. But those who serve the Queen rarely do it willingly." He explained. It seemed cruel to her but her King did the same. Boys carrying around weapons and armour, children who would get hurt in the crossfire. How her King and his Queen were alike.  
"Do you know what she's like, the Queen?" She asked, remembering he once stood _three feet from her_.  
"Cruel, hateful, a tyrant. She believes sorcerers are the upper class and so she treats ordinary people like dirt. Speak ill of her in public and the guards might arrest you for treason." The deep-sated venom in his voice would've been clear to anyone. She got the picture but there was something off about it.  
"Doesn't the Forge have a Prince? Where does he stand in all of this?" She kept asking.  
"He can see but cannot act. The Plain Prince, the heir without magic, a stain on their lineage she calls him." He replied with a bitter voice which she saw as resentment for the Prince. Gwen's curiousity wasn't sated and she wanted to ask more questions only she didn't get the chance to.  
"I'm tired. Goodnight." He said abrupt as he blew out the candle.  
"Goodnight."

When Gwen woke up the next morning, the headache was back but thankfully it was less serious than it was. It didn't keep her from asking questions the moment they left.  
"So where are we headed?"  
"To meet an old friend. I rarely pass through the region." He replied and he seemed a lot more relaxed than before.  
"Do you travel a lot?"  
"I think I do. Sometimes I do stay a while but things tend to get boring or complicated and I leave."  
"Must be nice, going whenever and wherever you please." She sighed in wonder but looking at Merlin spurred other thoughts. He was smiling but not genuinely. Again there was that sadness she hardly place. All she could learn from his pain right now was that _wherever_ probably was everwhere but one place, home?  
"What are you running from?" She asked and the smile he gave her then was real.  
"A lot." His answer didn't give her much to go on but there wasn't any reason to push.

Time passed by and they reached another village, their destination judging by Merlin's behaviour. He led them to an ordinary house but when he tried to open the door, it didn't budge.  
"She's probably out." He said as he sat down on the flower pot beside the small stone step.  
Gwen followed by example but as minutes passed by in silence, she needed something to do to pass the time.  
"Every time someone passes by I can't help but wonder if he or she has magic." She said.  
"Does it scare you?" Merlin asked to which she shook her head.  
"No. You'd think that but I doubt they're as different from us as Uther makes them out to be."  
"While we're looking at passers-by, did you see the nose on that old bald guy?" It was cheap talk but it kept them occupied, sometimes they'd laugh and people would give them funny looks. They didn't know it only gave them a better look at their faces and they'd laugh even louder.

An elderly woman approached them head on and Merlin got up from the flower pot.  
"Merlin!" She called.  
"Alice, it's been a while. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Gwen."  
"Pleased to meet you."  
Alice invited them inside and it seemed that 'to meet an old friend' also meant staying over. It was strange that she had the space for guests but an elderly woman living in a house by herself did imply a late husband. Much to Gwen's relief the old woman wasn't too nosy and soon enough Alice went out again seeing as she hadn't counted on having guests.

Merlin and Gwen sat down at the back of the house and all the 'old friend' and 'long time no see' business made her feel out of place.  
"Are you and Alice family?" She asked and it would be grand if it were true.  
"No, I helped her out a long time ago and we stayed in touch. Well, more or less."  
"Helped her out how?"  
"Someone was harassing her and I helped stop it." Once again Gwen had to face the fact that evasive answers like these were as good as it would get.  
"How about your family, anyone who might worry?" He asked.  
"I've got a brother back home." She was fond of him, he could hear it by the tone of his voice.  
"What's he like?"  
"He's a bit full of himself and always hangs around with the same twerps who are just as annoying."  
"So he's a prat?"  
"What's a prat?" She asked.  
"In two words, your brother."  
"That doesn't even make sense." She laughed.  
"Not to you and certainly not to him." He said and she understood the gist of it.

Alice called them from inside the house for dinner. Gwen thought the elderly woman to be like most elderly people she knew, kind and caring. The only thing she didn't like was the news she brought from the town crier, the rumour of the missing Princess Morgana, her disappearance had caught up with her.

Gwen awoke with a start, her heart beating in her throat and thoughts of death claimed her mind but she didn't remember what she had dreamt about.  
"You alright?" Merlin asked with a husky voice.  
"Fine." Her shaky voice was a solid contradiction.  
"More than just a nightmare, isn't it?" He read her like an open book and she thought it unfair she couldn't do the same to him.  
Much to her surprise, he got up from his bed and sat down on hers. He looked her in the eye and gently took her hand.  
"I promise you, everything is going to be alright." He said and softly squeezed her hand as reassurance. Gwen was glad that it was dark for the sudden affections he displayed made her blush. She had seem him hurt, angry, kind, sad, happy but never caring for the emotional side of things the way he did now. She squeezed his hand back before going back to sleep, every day was another adventure.

They left Alice early in the morning with supplies for a couple of days. Out on the road again, it was Merlin who first broke the silence.

"What did you think of Alice?" He asked and it was clear he was eager to hear her answer.  
"She's kind, like most old people. Why do you ask?"  
"Because she's a sorceress." He was beaming and she was stunned but in a good way. Those with magic really weren't different from ordinary people, just as she thought.  
"She used to live in Camelot so she learned not to flaunt her skills." He explained. Gwen wished he had told her sooner so she could've asked Alice so many questions. Camelot wasn't 'free' of magic, there were the druids and so many others who she now knew held the same hopes, dreams and fears. In the distant future, where a different King would rule Camelot, she could help shape a new land where magic would be free and so much more. There was so much on Gwen's mind, completely distracting her.  
"Morgana?"  
"Yes?" She replied, turning towards him, and only then did she realize her mistake. Her eyes grew in fear and then he knew...

He knew who she really was.

* * *

**AN:**

Right, now I can finally stop saying 'Gwen' and write more about her thoughts as well.


	5. The Power of a Name

**HAPPY NEW YEAR**

* * *

**The Power of a Name**

_"Morgana?"  
"Yes?" She replied, turning towards him, and only then did she realize her mistake. Her eyes grew in fear and then he knew..._

_He knew who she really was._

Her mouth was open and she tried to speak but her lips would not even form a single word.

"That's who you really are, isn't it?" He repeated the question and she averted her gaze.  
"Merlin..." She could barely utter his name, the rest of the sentence was clouded by her obvious guilt.  
She owed him her life for finding her on the battlefield. He had nursed her back to health, escaped the 'enemy' camp with her. He had shared feelings with her and she had left him in the dark. She considered him a friend but she never even told him her real name.  
There was something warm and soft was pressed in her neck and she looked up into those blue eyes of his.  
"It's alright. I would've done the same." He tried to be understanding.  
She didn't know he was doing the same.  
"But-" He continued "it also makes me wonder how much of what you told me was true."  
"Everything." Was her immediate reply.  
"You called your own father a tyrant, it kind of makes me wonder."  
"Because he _is_ a tyrant." She was firm in her believe that he was. "I'm sick of having to look at the sorcerers burning in the courtyard. They're not hurting anyone and he kills them just because they have magic."  
"You support magic?" Merlin asked curiously.  
"I believe it shouldn't be a death sentence. If no one can can fight him but I, then I will."  
He couldn't help but be amazed at the fire inside her. On not one of his little adventures had he met anyone with such a strong and outspoken mind.  
"What?" Morgana asked angrily.  
"I thought some nobleman had sent you to the battlefield to scare you but you have so much fight in you. You rode into battle yourself, didn't you?"  
"Yes." She confirmed his suspicions and saw his wondering smile.  
She began walking again and hoped it would keep him from seeing the blush that was growing on her cheeks.

At dusk they rented a room at the inn. They would be crossing the border the next day so it made sense to get a good night's sleep.  
During dinner a question popped into Merlin's head.  
"Who is Gwen?" He asked.  
"My maid. We're good friends."  
"You miss her?"  
"More than I thought." Morgana said softly.

Merlin suddenly frowned and closed his eyes. Morgana spent a moment looking at him and wondering what he was doing.  
"Our room, now." He said with sudden urgency.  
Morgana didn't immediately understand but moments later she heard hooves treading the ground outside and did as he told her.  
"Under the bed." He said once they were inside and pulled the sheets so they would reach the floor and cover her.  
Merlin looked at the mirror and tussled his hair. Someone knocked on the door and as he was opening it, a sudden force pushed him back and onto the floor.  
"Where is she?!" A woman's voice spoke.  
Morgana cautiously looked at her from under the bed. She was blonde, wore armour and was frowning. Behind her stood soldiers and she quickly hid behind the sheet again.  
"Who?" Merlin played the fool.  
"Don't test me." She warned him with narrowed eyes.  
"What are you talking about?" Merlin acted angry.  
The woman kneeled before him so their eyes were levelled "Where is Princess Morgana?"  
"It's true then, she's missing?" Merlin asked acting as if he had passed it off as a rumour. It was working, he could see the wheels turn in his sister's calculating mind.  
"If you don't give her up now, and I find her with you, I'll have you executed. Is that understood?"  
"Yes." Merlin answered but that wasn't good enough.  
"Yes, what?" She demanded.  
"Yes, my Queen."  
"Good. Farewell, _brother_." She spat and left the tavern with the suits of armour following her.

Merlin let out a sigh and after several moments he spoke again.  
"You can come out now."  
Morgana got up from under the bed and sat down on it.  
"You're the Plain Prince?" She asked in disbelief.  
He let his head hang a bit out of shame and didn't dare look at her. "Yes."  
"Why didn't you tell her about me?" She didn't complain but it had to be asked. Why did he choose her above his sister?  
"She's been looking for an excuse to kill me for ages." He smiled wryly "If I turn you in, she'll mark me a traitor and I'll sit right next to you on death row."  
"But you're her brother."  
"And she just threatened to kill me." He countered.  
"You're blood, kin, that has to count for something."  
"Not to her. She fears my father and killing me would bring him back. If he dies then nothing will stop her from killing me."  
"Can't you send him a letter and tell him what's going on?"  
"You think I haven't tried that? Why do you think I'm out on my own rather than staying at the castle? The moment he falls ill, I'll be put in the dungeon!"  
"But surely people would notice." Morgana argued and he showed another wry smile.  
"She was clever. I was young and hated public appearances and she made sure I didn't have to. It took years but people stopped recognizing me and that was what she was after."  
Then his face turned dark. "I should have killed her when she declared war. It would have prevented so much misery and suffering."  
"I know the feeling." Morgana could relate to some degree. She felt like she should have stopped Uther when he antagonized the Forge of Dusk.  
"Hypocrite." Merlin spat.  
"Sorry?"  
"You said you were against the bloodshed yet earlier you admitted riding into battle." He reminded her.  
Morgana stood up and shouted. "I rode into battle for the sake of my brother's life."  
Merlin didn't back down and stood up as well. "And isn't he exactly like his father?!"  
"He listens to me! When he is King, I can help him make the right decisions."  
"You bat your pretty eyes and **pout**!" Merlin mocked her.  
Next thing he knew, his shoulder met the wall that now supported him. The metallic taste in his mouth said enough.  
Morgana was surprised by her own actions. He was key to her freedom and when mere arguing could be her demise, striking him was plain stupid.  
She nervously approached him and laid a hand on his jaw and cheek. Merlin almost flinched. It had been a _very_ long time since anyone had been gentle with him.  
"Open your mouth." She offered to check on the damage.  
Using her thumb she pressed on individual teeth to see if it hurt. They were fine.  
"Sorry." She mumbled with her head down.  
He smiled and replied "You're pouting."  
She looked at him incredulously but smiled when she got the joke.  
They sat down on the bed again.  
"All my life people have been telling me they understand how I feel but they don't."  
She was surprised he was opening up again. If anything she thought he'd become more guarded than ever.  
"As a child people would tell me it's not my fault I wasn't like my sister, that I didn't have magic. They say it was normal to feel different but it's more than that. I _am_ different."  
That's what Gaius had said about her nightmares. Some people had them more often than others but with her they never ceased. She knew what it was like to be different.  
"With my father abroad and my mother gone, my sister became Queen. It was like I didn't exist anymore and so I began to travel."  
Morgana had only ever told her mother about her dreams and when she was gone things changed. She tried to tell both Arthur and Uther but it was like they refused to see and she felt so alone. The only person she could rely on was Gwen.  
"I met wonderful people like Alice but they don't know who I really am. They see something is wrong with me and they try to relate time and again."  
"You've never told anyone?" She asked.  
"I've always known I had to keep it secret but I did tell someone once."  
"What happened?"  
"It was so wonderful." He was smiling but tears formed in the corner of his eyes. "But it ended in nightmare and I couldn't do anything about it."  
Morgana pulled him closer and let his head rest on her shoulder.  
"I just feel so alone." He sobbed.  
All she could and needed to do was hold him.

* * *

**AN:**

Next chapter they will cross the border with the aid of another familiar face and a little more backstory on Merlin's part (about the person he revealed himself to).


End file.
